The two flyweights were neck and neck in the race for a place in the Great Britain team to compete at the London Games when a box-off was arranged for November 2011.

Selby won the first of the ‘best of three’ contests and Yafai pulled out of the second injured, meaning the Welshman beat him to a spot on the team.

Yafai has since turned professional with Eddie Hearn while Selby, 24, decided to join the British Lionhearts – set up to breach the gap between professional and amateur status for boxers in the British team.

Selby is in the five-man team who take on Astana Arlans Kazakhstan at the York Hall in London tonight (Thursday) hoping to lead the Lionhearts into the World Series of Boxing play-offs.

Ahead of his showdown with Meirbolat Toitov, he said: ‘Me and Khalid are friends and we spar together – in fact, we’ve sparred over a thousand rounds together. The box-off was hard as we had both qualified for the team.

‘It was a real great year for me but it was hard having to fight someone from your own team, although there was no resentment there – only one of us could make it.’

Selby says he had to give a great deal of thought to his next move after London but believes the WSB came along at just the right time, adding: ‘I had a lot of thinking to do.

‘With this team I can still go to Rio in 2016 for the next Olympics and try to get what I’ve trained for, which is an Olympic gold medal.

‘At first I didn’t really get the WSB but I got used to it and the programme is for six months so it’s not a commitment over a long period of time.’

Selby has more reason than most to look towards Rio as he exited the London Games early, going out in the quarter-finals to Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana having won just one fight.

While team-mates Luke Campbell, Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams were winning gold medals, Selby was heading home, He said: ‘The Games was life-changing.

‘I thought I’d come back with a medal but I am determined to do so next time.’

Tickets are still available to see British Lionhearts v Astana Arlans Kazakhstan tonight at York Hall, buy on the door from 7pm. For tickets to future fixtures visit www.britishlionhearts.com